Danger! Brazen fraudsters pretend to be police officers, BKA officials, public prosecutors or other officials on the phone.
They allow the phone numbers of local police stations, the BKA or 110 with an area code to appear on the phone display.
The perpetrators use names of real officials to make their story appear even more credible. The scammers often call older people and manipulate their victims into phone calls that last hours. They try to gain the victims' trust with convincing stories. Apparently a break-in into the apartment or house is imminent or the police have found black money in their accounts.
In all cases, the perpetrators strongly encourage the victims to hand over valuables and cash to a “colleague” for their own protection. In order not to jeopardize the investigation, the victim should not talk to anyone about the incident.
Using clever conversation, the perpetrators get the victims to take all of their cash and sometimes even the contents of bank safe deposit boxes home and then hand it over to a supposed police officer.
The perpetrators often operate from “call centers” abroad. They use so-called “Call ID spoofing”. This enables a freely selectable telephone number to be displayed on the callee's display using Internet telephony. The true origin of the call is not only concealed, it gives the impression that the call actually comes from the police. However, when the real police call, the number 110 never appears on the phone display.
The amount of damage in North Rhine-Westphalia reached millions in 2017. Many of those called react correctly to the telephone terror, hang up and call the police on 110. case in Münster the perpetrators always manage to put people under such pressure that they follow the instructions.
If you receive such a call, police recommend:
- Get the name, hang up, call your local police department on 110 and describe the situation.
- Do not give information about your financial circumstances or other sensitive data to unknown people.
- Do not open the door to unknown people.
- Bring in someone you trust.
- Never hand over money or valuables to unknown people, alleged employees of the police, public prosecutor's office, courts or financial institutions.
- If you are the victim of such a call, please contact the police and file a report.
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